This invention relates to vehicle bodies and, more particularly, to a body closure panel with a multi link pivoting support four bar linkage or hinge assembly for moving the panel between closed and open positions for easy access to the interior of a vehicle""s rear compartment.
It is known in the art relating to vehicle body closures to provide various types of hinges, track slides and/or linkages for supporting and controlling the opening and closing motions of a closure panel or door to provide user access to the vehicle interior. In some recent types of trucks and automobiles, center opening front and rear doors or half doors (rear access panels) are being provided which arc hinged at front or rear outer edges and open from adjacent inner edges to allow access to front and rear portions of a body interior or passenger compartment. In the past, a center pillar, or xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d pillar, was generally provided to which the inner edges of the doors were latched when in their closed positions. Recently, however, pillarless constructions have been provided in which at least the rear door is latched at top and bottom edges of the access opening and includes a support structure, and the front door is latched to the rear door.
Such center opening pillarless door constructions have provided improved access to the rear compartments of some trucks and traditionally two door (coupe) automobiles. However, these arrangements require opening of the front door first so that the rear door may be opened. To assure this, the rear exterior door handle is generally placed between the doors and is accessible only by opening the front door. When the vehicle is parked beside a wall or another vehicle, access to the rear compartment requires first opening the front door, next opening the rear door while standing beside the open front door and then entering or exiting the rear compartment from or to the space between the doors. The rear door must then be closed to allow exit or entry from or to the front door area and then opened to permit exit or entry of another person from/to the rear compartment. Such access could be more easily provided by a sliding door. However, this would require the addition of external tracks as used in van type vehicles, but which are not suitable for automobiles or truck cabs. Accordingly, an alternative body structure and mechanism allowing easier access to vehicle rear compartments was desired.
The present invention provides a closure panel pivotably supported by a four bar linkage type hinge or hinge assembly horizontally mounted in a vehicle body or other enclosure for closing an associated access opening. The panel is primarily intended for use in vehicles having a side access opening closable by a pivotable hinged front door and a four bar linkage hinge mounted closure panel according to the invention. The closure panel acts as an independent rear access panel that is openable to a position generally parallel and adjacent to the side of the vehicle to permit ingress to or egress from a rear compartment without requiring opening of the adjacent front door. In the closed position, the closure panel latches to upper and lower edges of the side access opening as well as to the rear of the access opening. The panel has an inner edge extending behind an adjacent outer edge of the front door to allow sealing of the pillarless joint in the closed position while allowing the front door to be swung or pivoted open in a conventional manner without moving the closure panel.
In a broadly defined application for a vehicle, the invention includes a vehicle body having a structural body member defining at least one side edge of a user access opening in one side of the body. A closure panel is provided for closing the access opening and is openable for permitting user access to the vehicle. The panel has longitudinally opposite edges positioned in the closed position with one edge adjacent the structural body member and an opposite edge spaced longitudinally adjacent an opposite side edge of the opening. A four bar hinge assembly is providing having a pair of load arms, each pivotally connected at one end to the structural body member and at another end to the closure panel intermediate the opposite edges.
The hinge assembly is configured for pivotally guiding the panel in a predetermined opening motion between a closed position closing the access opening and a fully open position longitudinally adjacent the one side edge of the opening and generally parallel with the side of the body. The opening motion includes varying the angular orientation of the panel while pivoting the panel in a generally longitudinal direction through major and minor arcs such that the one edge of the panel first moves outward to clear the structural body member at the one side edge of the opening and the other edge of the panel first rotates and moves longitudinally away from the opposite side edge of the opening as the panel first pivots outward and then inward to the fully open position.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of certain specific embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.